This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
There is a need in the art for a cost efficient method for improving the finish of the mating surfaces of components that movably engage one another in an assembly. For example, power losses through the hypoid gears of a modern automotive driveline component are significantly affected by the surface finish of the teeth of the hypoid gears. The teeth of such hypoid gears are commonly lapped together and as such, have a relatively low surface finish. In such gears, however, further improving the surface finish of the gears can significantly reduce surface friction so that the driveline component is able to operate more efficiently. Post-lapping processes, such as an Isotropic Superfinishing process, have been employed to obtain further reductions in the surface finish of hypoid gears, but such post-lapping processes tend to have relatively low throughput.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to avoid the use of a lapping process with a subsequent finishing operations to obtain a desired surface finish with a desired level or degree of conformity between the surfaces of the mating components.